Congressmen Say Gop Must Stand And Deliver

U.s. Reps. Bill Mccollum And Dave Weldon Say Moderation Would Be A Mistake.

November 9, 1998|By Mike Berry of The Sentinel Staff

Two Florida Republican congressmen said Sunday their party needs to reassert its fundamental ideals rather than adopt a more moderate course in the wake of Newt Gingrich's departure as House speaker.

An ABC News poll released Sunday said Americans overwhelmingly back Gingrich's decision to abandon his position and want the next speaker to look for common ground with Democrats. The poll showed 70 percent of respondents favor Gingrich's stepping down, while 26 percent said he should have remained speaker. An even wider 90 percent majority said the Republicans should find a speaker who tries harder than Gingrich did to work with the Democrats, not against them.

Gingrich lost his party's support after Democrats triumphed in Tuesday's elections, picking up five seats in the House despite the Monica Lewinsky scandal.

But Rep. Bill McCollum of Longwood rejected suggestions that Republicans must move toward the center and downplay extreme elements of their party, much as Democrats have done.

``We need to drive home points and regain the attention of the public to our issues. If anything, Democrats moved more to the center because we represent the mainstream.''

McCollum said Democrats succeeded in the election because of local issues and high Democratic voter turnout, not because voters were telling Republicans to lay off President Clinton.

``There was a failure in our part to cast a clear-cut agenda of what Republicans stand for,'' he said. ``Every Republican I know agrees with some basic premises. Limited role of government, less taxes, less regulation.''

Rep. Dave Weldon, R-Palm Bay, said Republicans perceived that Gingrich and other party leaders sold out to Clinton.

``Those people who would take us in the direction of so-called moderation and getting along better with Democrats are the people who will make us the minority party in the year 2000,'' Weldon said.

Republicans must offer a strong alternative to Clinton and the liberal agenda, Weldon said, while courting black and Hispanic voters who traditionally have supported the Democratic party.

``I don't really think we in the Republican Congress have been taking up the agenda of the radical right. We just didn't put forward a real good agenda for people to sink their teeth into,'' he said.

Possible successors to Gingrich include Rep. Robert Livingston Jr. of Louisiana and Rep. Christopher Cox of California, though Cox reportedly could drop out of the running as soon as today.

McCollum said he has not decided who to support. He also said he has no interest in the job but would not rule seeking out other leadership roles in the House.

Weldon said he would probably back Cox or Rep. Jim Talent of Missouri. Talent issued a statement late Sunday saying he had decided not to enter the race.